Non-products for non-consumers
"One fine day, several million years ago, Mrs Cromignonne and Mr Abominet fell in love with their offspring. A new era dawned. Madame strove to protect her infant, Monsieur, to improve posterity. Together, the two of them - the pragmatic mother and the idealistic, visionary father - invented the naive concept of Progress, which was to be expressed chiefly by the creation and manufacture of tools supposed to make our lives easier and even contribute to our happiness. Much, much later - that is to say, in our times - it became evident that the most generous ideals tend to be the first to degenerate.
Man found himself many a time a slave to the tools he created to serve him. Although there are a few rare objects whose integrity, practicality and sense of purpose have remained intact, a plethora of others exist only for themselves, without humour, love or fancy. Farewell dreams of happiness... As I matured, I realized I could try to correct an injustice to which I was my self probably an accomplice. Because I am neither a philosopher, nor a sociologist, nor a statesman; because I lack the intelligence to grapple with the problem on theoretical grounds, I decided to be pragmatic.
Grasping the wills and won'ts, the needs and desires of the citizen I would like to have as a friend and neighbour, I have attempted to describe the equipment he or she is likely to carry and maybe, through him or her, catch a glimpse of the society in which I'd like to see my children and those of my friends growing up.
What a vast, pretentious and naive programme this is.
I therefore tried to find, collect, correct, or create (when necessary) objects which are honest, responsible and respectful to people.
Not necessarily beautiful objects, but good object.
I soon realized I was facing an impossible task. After research and selection, very few products could meet my stringent standards. Yet, although the ones I approved were still far from my ideal of perfection, they did convey a certain spirit: an alternative direction, a new way of being.
Today, I am able to offer you a catalogue of these objects, a compendium I would like to call a catalogue of "non-products for non-consumers". The non-consumer is an individual who is alert and wary, but also open, creative, enthusiastic and finally extremely upstream and modern.
I hope that as you peruse these objects and the commentaries which accompany them, you will be able to recognize yourself as a member of the free and unincorporated tribe of non-consumers.
Further, I hope that you will be the ones to track down and create objects which, tomorrow morning, will constitute the future of the second compendium, so that, little by little, we can raise this collection to the level of our vision and the success of its "moral market", setting the example, may show a new relationship between mankind, tools, and their manufacture.
Cromignonne and Abominet could then see their dreams come true and our children could at last go to new adventures."
Man found himself many a time a slave to the tools he created to serve him. Although there are a few rare objects whose integrity, practicality and sense of purpose have remained intact, a plethora of others exist only for themselves, without humour, love or fancy. Farewell dreams of happiness... As I matured, I realized I could try to correct an injustice to which I was my self probably an accomplice. Because I am neither a philosopher, nor a sociologist, nor a statesman; because I lack the intelligence to grapple with the problem on theoretical grounds, I decided to be pragmatic.
Grasping the wills and won'ts, the needs and desires of the citizen I would like to have as a friend and neighbour, I have attempted to describe the equipment he or she is likely to carry and maybe, through him or her, catch a glimpse of the society in which I'd like to see my children and those of my friends growing up.
What a vast, pretentious and naive programme this is.
I therefore tried to find, collect, correct, or create (when necessary) objects which are honest, responsible and respectful to people.
Not necessarily beautiful objects, but good object.
I soon realized I was facing an impossible task. After research and selection, very few products could meet my stringent standards. Yet, although the ones I approved were still far from my ideal of perfection, they did convey a certain spirit: an alternative direction, a new way of being.
Today, I am able to offer you a catalogue of these objects, a compendium I would like to call a catalogue of "non-products for non-consumers". The non-consumer is an individual who is alert and wary, but also open, creative, enthusiastic and finally extremely upstream and modern.
I hope that as you peruse these objects and the commentaries which accompany them, you will be able to recognize yourself as a member of the free and unincorporated tribe of non-consumers.
Further, I hope that you will be the ones to track down and create objects which, tomorrow morning, will constitute the future of the second compendium, so that, little by little, we can raise this collection to the level of our vision and the success of its "moral market", setting the example, may show a new relationship between mankind, tools, and their manufacture.
Cromignonne and Abominet could then see their dreams come true and our children could at last go to new adventures."
Philippe Starck